


Crystal Snow

by malladale



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-06-23 17:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19705783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malladale/pseuds/malladale
Summary: In the later half of her sophomore year in university, Leaf is living her life in a consistent cycle. She is used to going through the same routine everyday between retrieving coffee, spending time with her besties, and avidly studying. Completely to her surprise, her daily routine is interrupted by a certain spiky haired boy in need of a pencil.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Crystal Snow, an oldrival fic. Hope you enjoy this lil story. I'm just borrowing the characters because I love their personalities, and there are no Pokemon in the story. 
> 
> Necessary Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

With one last box of sweaters unpacked, Leanne (preferably Leaf) Green collapsed onto the old futon stationed under her lofted bed. The room was the same as it was prior to winter break, but this came as no surprise since she preferred to keep things consistent. Polaroid pictures hung from the fairy lights on the walls and railings of both of the lofted beds in the room; a luscious, fluffy comforter lay perfectly folded on top of each mattress as well. Nothing had changed, just the way she liked it.

A short haired brunette poked her head into the room, "You all done unpacking?" The girl on the futon lazily nodded her head, giving her room-mate a thumbs up.

"All done, May. We can finally relax," Leaf sighed as she sank further into the sofa crease, becoming one with the several plush cushions. May laughed and plopped down on their shared futon as well.

"I hate to break it to you, but the dining hall closest to us closes in two hours. And considering I take at least an hour for my meals, we better get moving fast if you still want to drop by the gym afterwards," she informed her lazy roommate.

Leanne whined, "Can't you just go without me? I'm not even that hungry."

"No can do, miss Leafy. Sharon is counting on me to make sure you are properly fed."

"May, I'm supposed to be the mom friend here, stop freaking me out," Leaf chuckled, "but no worries, I'll go with you, so quick the yapping." May smiled and went to grab her lanyard from her desk, throwing a jacket at Leaf while she was at it.

Both girls are currently in their sophomore year of university, just starting their spring semester. After a relaxing, well-deserved winter break filled with Christmas dinners and midday naps, Leaf finds the stress and excitement of a new semester settle in. As a pre-law student and international business major, she was properly accustomed to all nighters for class assignments and projects. The only aspect of life she felt she had complete control over was her room, and she had successfully unpacked all of her winter apparel, an array of heavy coats and cardigans, into her small closet.

After a solid fifteen minute walk, the girls found themselves at the nearest dining hall.

"Leaf! May! Over here," yelled a high-pitched voice from the seating area of the hall. Both girls whipped their heads over to see Dawn Berlitz and Drew Hayden, their long-time best friends from high school. Although the two looked nothing alike, they were related. The step-siblings had become family back in middle school and had since built the classic older-bro/younger-sis relationship. Drew was often overprotective of his sister since guys seemed to always send whistles towards the blue-tinted, black haired girl, and Dawn was always supportive of her brother's athletic expenditures.

Leaf and May had been longtime friends from high school, and Drew joined their posse after a shared communications class in their first semester of college. A year later, Dawn arrived on campus and would occasionally join the group to hang out, but she had her own friends she came to university with as well.

"Hello my dears, I hope you had a wondrous Christmas break," Leaf chided as she stood in front of the roundtable.

"Oh, it was nothing special. Just the usual family ski trip, ya know?," Drew replied.

May snorted, "You know, sometimes I think you forget that Leaf and I ain't from the richest of families."

"And YOU know, that we always try to get you guys to come, but you always reject our invitation," Dawn pouted, a playful spark in her eyes. Drew smirked along with his sister as the other two rolled their eyes.

"Well, as amusing as this conversation is, we are going to get some food, or in my case, grab some coffee stat," Leaf giggled as she dragged May away. May quickly was overtaken by the mission to retrieve a feast and zoomed off to the Italian section of the food court.

As Leaf made herself a delightful cup of coffee at the drinks station, she sighed contently, happy to be back with her friends.

\--

A snore hummed through the tranquil room, matching pitch with the heating system running. As the sun began to peak out from behind the clouds and through the curtains of the room, a Taylor Swift single began to play, shaking the room.

"Shake it off, shake it off! I-I-I shake it off-"

Leaf poked her head out of her comforter in annoyance, glancing around to identify the blaring sound. She grumbled as she hopped down from her bed, and hurriedly stopped her phone's alarm. May was still sound asleep, but that came as no surprise since the girl was the deepest sleeper, needing at least ten alarms to wake up. She only took afternoon classes, and the two even shared a class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Leaf's phone displayed the time of 7:15 a.m., leaving her with fifteen minutes to get ready and start the trek to her 8:15 class, Global Issues. She got ready, doing her business in the bathroom, throwing on two layers and her trusty, chunky cardigan. Although it was freezing out, she slipped a pair of fuzzy socks over her already socked feet and slid on her Birkenstocks. After tossing her backpack over her shoulder and a beanie onto her head, Leaf stepped out of her room, locking the door.

On her way to her class, she made sure to grab a cappuccino from the local Starbucks, happily throwing her money away on overpriced coffee. It was damn good though. As she walked, she gave warm greetings to past classmates and acquaintances, holding her cup close to soak in its warmth.

Upon arrival at her class, the teacher had yet to arrive, but students were already filling up the lecture hall. Leaf scanned her surroundings and took a seat in the middle-back of the room per usual.

Suddenly, a louder, more rowdy group came in. In the center of this group was one of the infamous heads of the department, Gary Oak. It was almost impossible to get close to this guy since people liked to flock him like geese. The hype was understandable to everyone since he was no eye sore, one of the smartest guys, and generally pleasant to be around. Except Leaf. She just did not understand what was so great about this guy. Sure, he had his perks, but he never gave her any reason to like him.

Gary and his friends took their seats two rows in front of our protagonist (much to her annoyance), but a familiar grasshead amongst the crowd suddenly grabbed Leaf's attention as it made its way towards her.

"Hello, Drew. How are you faring this disgusting Monday morning?," Leaf greeted her friend, offering her Starbucks cup to her friend. He gladly accepted the drink as Leaf patted down his disheveled green bangs. Some people find Drew's hair incredibly distinct from his personality in the beginning, but no one can imagine him in any other hair color anymore. After a lost bet in freshman year, Drew strangely upkept his green locks, rarely letting his roots show. He is very particular about his hair; he can be vain like that sometimes.

"Leaf, I really hope you finally decided to splurge on a pack of pens because I only have one," Drew remarked. Leaf scoffed, taking out her laptop and other various supplies.

"For your information, I happen to have this," she retaliated, plopping a pencil case filled with all the essentials onto the table, "although I doubt I will need all this stuff, there was a great sale happening at my favorite stationary store." The room began to quiet down a little bit as the professor entered the room, sporting his own laptop bag and venti Starbucks cup. Leaf gave a small nod of approval, powering her laptop on.

"Hey."

"What?," Leaf asked, facing Drew. He shrugged, his eyes reading 'wasn't me' while turning back to his MacBook. She looked forward, surprised to see a certain somebody facing her.

"Do you have a pen?," Gary Oak asked, giving Leaf a small smile.

"Oh yeah, no problem."

Leaf fished out a G2 pilot from her pouch. There was no way she could reach two rows in front of her with her short arms, so she opted to toss the pen. However, Leaf is no baller, and the pen seemed like it would fly into the head of Gary's friend. Leaf internally cringed at her lack of skill, but sighed in relief as Gary easily caught the pen before it hit its unintended target.

"Do you know when May will rise from the dead to join us for lunch?," Drew asked, completely unaware of what just happened. Leaf turned her head, mind already taken away from the incident and back to reality.

"You ask like you don't know that she is going to wake up when we're already at the dining hall and accidentally miss her 12 o'clock lecture," she sighed. The two continued to chit-chat quietly as the professor pulled up the course syllabus on the board.

Unnoticed by them, Gary gave muttered a quiet 'thanks', a quirk on his lips as he gave the two (specifically a certain long-haired brunette) one last glance.

* * *

Hope that was a cute lil intro. I'm just here for a good time, and reviews are welcome if you want I guess. Hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 2 of Crystal Snow. Hope you like it!

"So, is there a reason why you have currently taken up residency on my sofa?," Leaf asked as she entered her room, seeing Drew sprawled on her futon, channel surfing the TV opposite of him. From the single, large window in the room, one could see the sun was starting to set, casting an amber glow in the room.

Drew held up a hand as a greeting, "Waiting for May to get back from her class so we can go partying." Leaf hummed in response, setting her bag down. The first day back to class was relatively uneventful so far, and she planned to keep it that way by ending her night with a nice cup of tea and catching up on her favorite travel vloggers.

Drew sighed as she booted up her desktop, "You know, you could join us this once. When's the last time you went out? High school?"

"You know that's an exaggeration. I went to a party in… freshman year with you two," Leaf retaliated. Drew rolled his eyes, "Wow, you have literally been to one party during your college experience. You truly live an exciting, wild life."

Leaf sighed, "I don't need your sarcasm, mister. Also, don't forget that I bar hop with you guys occasionally… but I will join y'all tonight since I know May is gonna pester me about it." At that moment, the aforementioned brunette burst through the doors.

"Who's ready to PARTAYYY!"

\--

Leaf watched as her breath materialized into a wisp of white in front of her nose. She was currently leaning against the wooden railing of Drew's frat house porch. An unknown drink with a fruity tang hung in between her fingertips. The only other people on the porch were a completely wasted couple, sitting on the outdoor loveseat. Drew's frat house was known for its back to school and holiday parties, often attracting large crowds. Leaf desperately needed air

Then, the glass door to the area slid open with a quiet 'scrrr'.

"Whatcha doing out here?"

Leaf turned to the new voice and new arrival. To her surprise, Gary Oak was approaching her with a Bud Light in hand. He wore a cheerful expression, but something seemed off. Almost fake.

"Just trying to enjoy the stars. Taurus should be out this time of year."

Gary grinned, "Parties not really your scene?"

"Uhh, yeah, I'm not really one to party," Leaf muttered, turning back to look over the porch.

"Your friends seem to be having a good time in there."

Leaf chuckled. The last she had seen of May and Drew, the two were grinding up on each other. "Yeah, they love going out and getting hammered. I'm mainly here to make sure May gets home okay."

"I don't know. Seems like she and Drew may just dance the night away. They together or something?"Leaf laughed out loud.

Gary smiled, raising an eyebrow, "Did I say something funny?"

"Oh no, not at all."

Although May and Drew seemed to hate each other half of the time, Leaf knew that the two have liked each other since high school. They doubted their feelings, and most people looked past it since the two were always arguing. Though, deep down they were afraid of making Leaf feel left out.

Gary and Leaf stood beside each other, occasionally taking sips from their respective drinks. Leaf had no idea why Gary was even standing next to her as he was known as quite the life of the party and socialite while she was just a nobody who preferred a night in relaxing alone.

A chilly gust blew through as the two tried to watch the stars through all of the light pollution. Leaf shivered slightly, hugging her arm around her a little tighter. Although she had two layers on, Leaf always found her fingers and toes freezing no matter the weather.

Gary gave Leaf the side eye before sliding off his jacket and holding it up, offering it to her.

Her eyes widened, "Oh, no, I'm fine really. Please put it back on, it's real cold o-out." Just as she spoke, another, stronger gust of wind blew by, causing her to shiver violently. Even though she was freezing, she did not wish for anyone else to suffer as she was.

Gary smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on, just take it. I definitely don't need it since I've been moving around all night," he insisted, "Besides, I'm hot anyway." His smirk widened a little, and Leaf gave him a look before giving in, moving to accept the jacket. Before she could even touch it, Gary had moved behind her, draping the coat over her shoulders while smiling one of his usual flirtatious smiles.

Leaf blinked, "Oh, thanks."

"No problem, I'll be heading back in. Have a nice night, Leaf." Gary picked his beer up from the porch railing, flashing another small, killer smile at her as he left. Leaf swore she saw actual sincerity in his little grin. She allowed herself to smile a little as she turned her attention back to the stars, taking a sip from her fruity concoction.

The coat over her shoulders really did help protect from the cold. Was that Italian leather lined with sherpa? Leaf surely didn't remember seeing Gary wearing it when she caught sight of him earlier at beer pong. She shrugged her suspicions off, but her eyebrows furrowed all of a sudden.

"Wait," she muttered, "how did he know my name?"

Suddenly, the door to the porch slid open with a bang. Leaf whirled her head around, spotting her two idiots of friends. (She'd be lying if she wasn't hoping for the surprise guest to be a certain spiky haired someone.)

"Leafy! What is up my dude? You-you-where have you been?," May slurred as she slung her arm over her friend's shoulders, sapphire eyes dulled.

Leaf scowled, "You'd think that she'd learn from every past outing that she has an alcohol tolerance almost as low as mine." Drew laughed as he came up beside them, putting an arm around May's waist to stabilize the hammered girl. Leaf giggled as well, removing the arm dragging her down.

Drew smirked, "And you know that she can't stop herself when she catches sight of a box of Franzia. I thought you were supposed to be on alcohol watch this time?"

"I needed to get some air. It was way too stuffy in there."

May frowned, "But Leaaaaf, it's so cold out here." She tried to snuggle closer to Drew who grumbled, trying to stabilize her. He then paused for a second, giving Leaf a once-over.

"Not that I care about your fashion sense, but were you wearing that jacket when we got here?"

Leaf's eyes widened for a quick second. She'd almost forgotten the leather jacket cloaked over her shoulders.

"Oh yeah, I just… borrowed it from someone," she smiled an innocent smile. Drew gave her another look before brushing it off.

"Well, let's get this one back to her bed. I don't know how much longer she can keep herself standing up somewhat straight."

Leaf rolled her eyes, "Oh please Drew, just sweep her off her feet bridal style. Be her knight in shining armor as you always are." May, although inebriated, laughed at her statement. Drew chimed in after her outburst.

"Ha ha, very funny, you should be a comedian. But seriously, let's go."

Leaf rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright. But you're right, I should be a comedian." She slipped her arms through the sleeves of her newly acquired outer layer, relishing in the warmth.

* * *

Hope this was a cute lil chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 of Crystal Snow. Hope you like it!

“You are all welcome to stay behind and work on your group presentations, and no need to worry, this room will be empty for the rest of the day,” Leaf’s professor, Professor Lance, announced to his final class of the day.

Leaf stretched her arms as May thumped her head against the table.

“Head up, Maple. We have a project to get done,” Drew scoffed, giving May a pointed look. She turned her head, still on the table, to match his gaze. 

“And I will contribute, I’m just so tired,” she humphed, “I only slept eight hours. Eight. Hours.”

Both Leaf and Drew hit the shoulders of the girl sat between them. May whined, turning her attention back to her laptop screen still slumped in her seat. 

“I guess I’ll go grab a few drinks to revitalize our energy. You two start researching, yeah?,” Leaf sighed while standing up, grabbing her bag which contained her wallet. 

May and Drew both gave her a thumbs up, “Right on.”

Leaf smiled as she slung her backpack over her shoulders, muttering a quick ‘be right back’. She headed down the stairs of the lecture hall’s pews and into the hallway towards the small common area around the corner. She spotted a vending machine and promptly sauntered over to it.

Leaf jostled with her bag to fish out her wallet, and she had already bought two drinks, inserting another dollar bill when she felt a presence beside her. She turned, holding her wallet up as defense (which in hindsight is a terrible idea). This also proved a bit of a challenge as she had a lot to carry. 

There, casually leaning against the vending machine, was the one and only Gary Oak. The usual, small smirk adorned his face morphed into a questioning expression at Leaf’s stance. Leaf gave an awkward laugh, lowering her wallet. 

“Need some help with all that?,” Gary offered. 

“I wouldn’t object some help carrying all of this.”

Gary grabbed the drinks from her arms, snickering, “You trying to get a sugar high or something?”

“Ah, no. May needs a sugar rush. Girl can’t survive without large amounts of sugar or twelve hours sleeps,” Leaf chuckled, also drawing a little laugh from Gary. She chose one more drink, a nice citrus tea for herself.

“I don’t know. I’d definitely never be bored if I was sitting next to you,” Gary commented, giving Leaf a side eye and a smile. Leaf stood up from retrieving her tea, giving Gary a raised eyebrow and skeptical look.

“Alright, that’s nice and all. How many times have you used that on a girl?,” she laughed, slipping her wallet back into her bag. 

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t said it before, but I think this is the first time I meant it,” he replied snarkily, but Leaf felt like she heard actual sincerity in his statement. She playfully hit his shoulder when she suddenly remembered something. 

She shoved her tea into Gary’s arms with the rest of her drinks and went through her bag. After a few moments, she fished out the leather jacket from the party a few days ago. 

“Thanks for this the other night,” she held it out to him with a genuine smile, “It was real sweet and strangely out of character, but highly appreciated.” 

He laughed, accepting the jacket, “I’m going to ignore that comment, but I was only returning the favor.” In a slightly awkward debacle, the two switched the items they were carrying.

Leaf blinked, “Returning the favor?”

Gary smirked, pulling a pen out of his pocket, “I do believe this is yours. And, I just gotta say your hoop game is lacking.”

She once again found herself blinking, taking the pen from his hand, “Oh, thanks.” To be honest, Leaf had completely forgotten about the pen incident. Also, although she’d never admit it out loud, her heart skipped a beat when their fingers touched during the exchange.

Then, she processed the second half of his statement and hit him lightly on the arm, “Hey, jabs at my great baller skills are not appreciated.” Gary raised an eyebrow, and Leaf matched his gaze. They both laughed quietly. 

“Alright, we’ll call it even. But really, thanks for the coat that day.”

Gary took a second then gave a sincere smile, “It’s all good. Besides, it looked cute on you.” That caught her attention. 

Before Leaf could even respond, Gary had turned and muttered a quick goodbye as he walked away. For some reason, Leaf found herself smiling as he walked away, feeling utterly stupid yet happy. This guy has a reputation of being a bit of a player and always snagging the prettiest girls. Why is he talking, much less paying any attention to her?

Then, Gary turned his head to look at her one last time. He caught her staring and smirked, holding a hand up as a bye as he rounded a corner. Leaf immediately stopped smiling and turned, scurrying away to her class. 

* * *

“Leaf, the light of my life, you finally return to me!” May exclaimed as Leaf tossed her a sugary energy drink, which she barely caught. As soon as she had a good grip on the can, she immediately opened it, gulping down the high grams of sugar. Leaf and Drew weren’t fazed at all.

“What took you so long?” Drew asked as Leaf tossed him a sprite, which he caught with utter ease. 

“Uhhhhh,” she muttered. Drew and May both gave her a questioning look.

She quickly recovered, “I just uh ran into uh… Misty! You know, Ash’s girlfriend. Forgot her name for a second there hahaha. We just caught up for a bit you know.” May and Drew both shared a glance before giving Leaf a funny look. She just gave a shrug, putting on her best poker face. Drew just brushed it off, returning to his research. 

“Anyways, let’s get back to work, yeah?” Leaf suggested, trying to change subjects. May dropped her suspicious glaze and hit her head against the table again, whining.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written in a long time, so here is a longer chapter than usual. Hope you like it! (Also, I didn't proofread this chapter all too well so sorry if some parts don't make sense)

The third week of uni rolled around quickly. After staying in the library for six hours studying the night before, Leaf was not feeling her Thursday morning class. How could her heartless politics professor assign a project that they had three days to complete? The overachieving perfectionist in her was screaming.

Luckily, she'd be grabbing lunch with her besties after her morning lecture and then heading to her and May's shared class.

With five minutes to spare, Leaf made it to class. The professor was already there pulling up the powerpoint presentation for the day.

She quickly shuffled into an open desk in the smaller honors class, setting down her coffee cup. Unfortunately, Leaf did not know anyone in her class since she was late to sign up for classes and needed to enroll in any elective. Though, the topic was interesting at least: Honors Greek Mythology. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little excited since the middle school Percy Jackson stan in her was about to pop off.

As the clock ticked to a minute before class was supposed to start, one last straggler entered the room. Leaf paid this person no mind until she sensed someone sit in the seat beside her. For two weeks, this desk was left empty as everyone claimed their unofficial seats, but it seems that their class had a new student.

Out of pure curiosity, she lifted her gaze to the person next to her, and her eyes widened slightly as she was met to a surprising sight.

Gary Oak was smiling at her. "Hey, I didn't know you were in this class."

Leaf merely nodded and answered with an intelligible 'uh-huh'. It had been two weeks since she had last interacted with Gary, save for the few greeting smiles they shared in their other shared class. She was shaken out of her awkward silence by her professor.

"Alright everyone, today we will be discussing the tale of Psyche and Eros," the professor announced to the class, already clicking through the presentation. Usually, Leaf was relaxed during his lectures, but the presence next to her made her feel slightly self-conscious.

The class ticked away pretty quickly as she tried to avoid any potential eye contact with Gary or the professor, vigorously typing notes on her laptop. By the time her professor finally dismissed the class, Leaf's belongings were already all packed up, and she rushed to be the first person out of the door.

' _What am I being so nervous for?'_ she reprimanded herself as she walked through the halls.

Really, she had no idea as to why she was so surprised to see him in her class and choose to sit next to her. The only open seat was beside her, so that made sense .

"Hey Leaf!"

' _Why does it seem like he's literally everywhere?_ '

"Leaf!"

' _Stop overthinking so much, girl_.'

"Where ya heading?" a voice asked near her left ear.

"Ah!" Leaf squeaked, clutching her heart from the jump scare. Her feet stuttered for a moment before resuming her pace. Unaware to her, a certain someone had been trying to catch her attention while she was consumed in her deep thought.

Gary Oak chuckled, repeating himself, "Where ya heading?" He fell into pace with her.

"O-oh, just going to grab a bite to eat before my next class starts."

"Really? Same here," he paused for a moment, "Do you want to maybe have lunch together? My treat."

Leaf laughed lightly, "I was just going to head to the cafeteria, nothing fancy here."

"Hey, I'm always down for bland dining hall food, buuuut I had a little something else in mind. No worries though, nothing fancy," he replied, nudging her arm with his elbow. Leaf took a few moments to contemplate his offer as the two exited the Honors Hall.

Trying to maintain a perfectly neutral face (but failing), she responded, "I think I'll take you up on that offer. After all, I'm not one to pass up a free meal." Leaf quickly sent a text in her 'besties gc' that she wouldn't be able to make it for their Thursday brunch.

Leaf then realized that sometime during their conversation, Gary had managed to slip her tote from under her arm and was carrying her bag.

She went to grab it back, "You know, I can carry my own bag."

Gary quickly moved away from her hand, "I don't think so. I was raised a gentleman."

Leaf laughed, hitting his shoulder.

"But honestly, looks are deceiving because this bag is a lot heavier than it seems. What do you have in here, bricks?"

Leaf quirked an eyebrow, "If it's so heavy, I'd gladly take it back." She reached for the bag again.

He once again moved away from her hand, "Nuh-uh." Leaf rolled her eyes, giving in and shoving her hands into her pockets to protect them from the cold.

The two continued to walk towards the downtown eateries, keeping light conversation with occasional giggles from both parties.

* * *

The two soon arrived at a cafe in a part of town that Leaf never really frequented.

"After you, ma'am," Gary said as he opened the door for Leaf. She chuckled as she entered the cafe, giving him a side eye. Then, her attention was directed to the decor of the small shop. All of the furniture was made of wood as well as the floors and counter. The lights gave the cafe a warm glow and plants were just about everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling in clear balls and clay pots. It was the definition of cozy.

Leaf let out an inaudible 'wow'.

"I'm assuming you either love or hate this place from that blank stare on your face."

"Well, I'm definitely not feeling hate," she replied as she walked towards the counter. Luckily, the menu on the boards behind the cashiers was not very long because Leaf was very indecisive. After a few /very long/ moments of deliberation, the two ordered their food and coffees and settled at a small table situated in a corner by a window.

"I haven't been here for very long, but um I love it," Leaf said, getting comfy in her seat. "I have no idea as to why I've never been here before."

Gary grinned, "It's a pretty nice place. I would have never found this place on my own, but I know a guy who's been working here for a little while. He should be working in the kitchen right now."

"That's nice. Who is he?"

"Oh, you might know him. Aaron Isamu, business accounting major?"

"That sounds really familiar actually," Leaf replied, trying to recall anyone by that name.

"Ah, you may know him as-"

"I've got two nonfat lattes, a tomato mozzarella panini, and avocado chipotle toast?" a voice came from Leaf's left. She looked up to a familiar face, eyes widening and smile appearing.

"Oh my god, Red? Reddie boy?"

"No way, Greenie?" Red asked, placing the plates and cups down onto the table and tucking his tray under his arm. "I haven't seen you since Pallet High."

"Yeah, I thought you moved to Alola in like sophomore year."

"I moved back to Kanto for university. Gary's grandfather here offered me an internship I couldn't pass up."

"That's amazing. It's great to see you here." Red smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it. It's good to see you again, we should catch up sometime," he patted Leaf on her shoulder, giving her a wink as he made his exit.

Gary hummed, "Seems like you two are close."

"Not really anymore. We grew up in the same hometown and went to school together 'til he moved away," she answered, taking a ship of her latte.

"Ah… Do you like him?"

Leaf nearly did a spit take, slightly choking on her drink.

"No no no no, nothing like that. We were just good friends."

Gary laughed at her reaction, "Well, that's a relief."

Leaf wasn't entirely sure how to take that comment, but she resorted to start picking at her panini. After making it about halfway through her meal, Gary spoke up.

"So, if you knew Red, I assume you're from Pallet Town."

"Oh yeah, born and raised there… But now that you mention it, you look just like a kid that lived right down my street. He was the grandson of that famous researcher, -"

"Professor Oak?"

Leaf paused, "Yeah, how did you…?" Gary gave her a skeptical look, raising an eyebrow.

Leaf's eyes widened with shock, but her smile growing, "No way, okay wait, hold up, wait… Blue? Wait, that means that the grandfather he mentioned is.. Yours!"

Gary laughed, "Seems like you remember now, huh, Leafy Green?"

Leaf's shock subsided pretty quickly after hearing that, "When did you realize it was me?"

"Not too long ago, really. Probably at that party a few weeks ago. You mentioned astrology and it clicked."

"Ah, I can't believe you're that kid that I used to dig up worms with in the backyard," she laughed.

"And you're the girl that would go fishing with me and Red after class."

"Wait, didn't you move away during elementary school?"

"Yeah, I lived with my grandpa while my parents were on a research trip during my childhood. I went to join them in Sinnoh later on, but we moved back and settled down in Viridian City right before college."

"Huh, well you've certainly changed since we were 7."

Gary quirked an eyebrow, grinning, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Leaf replied, sipping her coffee. Gary continued to give her the stare, and she caved.

"Oh, alright. Well, you know there's all those rumors that you're that popular guy aha you know like a player."

Gary gave her a look, "Well, I hope you know that none of that's true. I swear, I date a few girls back in freshman year and all of a sudden they start spreading rumors after we broke up."

Leaf laughed awkwardly, "Oh yeah, totally, I definitely did not believe any of them pshhh." Gary continued to give her the look, but let it slide.

Their lunch continued with light banter, and the two recalling random memories from their childhood. Red came back out to clear their dishes when Leaf's phone started to ring. She fished the device out of her bag and answered.

She gave Gary an apologetic look, muttering, "Sorry." He smiled as she accepted the call.

"Hello, is this Leanne Green?"

"Yes, this is she. Who is this?"

"This is Erica from Steele Enterprise. I'm calling to see if you know where Anne Green has been." Leaf stood from her seat, walking away towards an empty part of the cafe.

"You are the only number under her emergency contacts. Can you pass along the message that if she does not show up to work within the next week, we will be forced to terminate her employment contract."

Leaf let out a breath, "Oh, yes. Of course. Thank you."

"Thank you for your time, miss. Goodbye." And they hung up.

Leaf sighed, "Bye." She headed back to their table, not sure how to feel.

As she grabbed her bag Gary gave her a concerned look, starting to stand up, "Everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I've just got to get back to my dorm." She slung her bag over her shoulder right as Gary grabbed her wrist.

"Okay, slow down there, missy. Wait outside for a moment, I'll be right out after I pay." Leaf stared at him for a moment and then nodded, trying to sort out her mind.

* * *

The cold outside helped to clear her mind a bit. How could her mom do this again? She promised that the last time would really be the last.

"Ugh, I have a headache," she muttered, bringing her hand up to massage her temple.

A ding came from the bell on the door along with Gary's voice, "You okay there?"

"Oh yeah, real good. Never been better," Leaf looked up, "Thanks so much for lunch, it was real sweet of you. I've really gotta get going though. May's waiting at the dorm, and I've got a few calls to make." She started walking in the direction of her dorm.

He began to match pace with her, "Alright, but at least let me walk you to your place. You seem a bit out of mind right now."

"Psh, out of mind? What makes you say tha-" And she walked straight into a lamp post. Gary suppressed a laugh.

"Ow… okay, I get what you mean." Gary smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

When she gave him a questioning look, he justified, "You're out here walking into poles. I am doing you a favor by trying to keep you standing straight."

"Alrighty then, ya player," she answered jokingly.


End file.
